Five MLS teams entered the tournament at this stage but only three continued on. Kansas
City began their Open Cup losing streak with a loss to fellow MLS team Colorado Rapids
(replacing the Foxes for the Quarterfinals) while D.C. United and the Dallas Burn
dispatched the Carolina Dynamo and Seattle Sounders, respectively. The real story,
however, was in Rochester; the hometown Rhinos belted in four goals, including an overtime
winner, to defeat the league-leading Tampa Bay Mutiny. An upset in monumental proportions,
this game defined what cup competitions mean and was everything the Open Cup was meant to
be.

SEMI-FINALS

Rochester Rhinos3
Colorado Rapids 0

Dallas Burn 0D.C. United 2

Irrepressible Rhinos March to Final

The Rochester Rhinos shrugged off the challenge of the slumping Colorado Rapids, who were
doomed to have a terrible first season. What makes the Rhinos' 1996 ascent to both the
Open Cup Final and A-League Championship is the fact that they, too, were in their first
year of existence. Blazing a trail of excellence for teams of all divisions to emulate,
the Rhinos showed that class and skill were not monopolized by MLS teams. Elsewhere, D.C.
United had obviously hit their stride with Bolivian phenomenon Jaime Moreno downing Dallas
with a double strike.